Liquid heating apparatus



Sept. l2, 1950 M. G. BURWELL LIQUID HEATING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1947 www@ l 3mm/Mot /llaurel if Earn/ell s@ ma www@ Patented Sept. 12,` 1950 UNITED STATES* PATENT OFFICE LIQUID HEATngG APPARATUS Maurel G. Burwu, columbus, ohio l Application May 5, 1947; serialNo. 745,904

The present invention relates to hot water heaters, and more particularly to gas-fired hot tained in each tank is efliciently heated by but a single fuel burner of a size and capacity of the type normally employed in heating the contents of a single tank.I

TheseV and additional objects and advantages will become readily apparent with a more `thorough understanding of `this invention,1.which may belderived from the following detailed desscription and the accompanyingdrawingswhereinz,K t. p, Figi- 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through `a hot water heating system; formed in accordance with he present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a relatively enlarged scale disclosing the fuel burner and its associated flame port.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the present invention makes use of a substantially oval-shaped base 5 formed with an upstanding side wall 6, and an intermediately disposed substantially horizontal upper wall 1. The upper ends of the side wall 6 extend slightly above the upper wall 'I to provide a peripheral side flange. Resting upon the upper surface of the upper wall 1, are a pair of vertically arising water tanks 8 and 9 respectively. These tanks are identical in configuration, and possess a substantially circular cross sectional configuration. The lower portion of each of the tanks are provided with a circular flange Ill formed at the junction of the side and bottom walls of the tank, and it is upon this flange that each of the individual tanks are supported upon the base with the individual bottom walls of the tank disposed in vertically spaced relation to the upper wall of the base. The tanks are positioned in substantially longitudinal vertical alignment on the base 1 Claim. (01.1.22-10 2 l 5, and are spaced fromone another at their adjacent Sides. Occupying the space between the two tanks is a vertically arising flue pipe I I having its lower end fitted within and communicating with the open end of a passageway I2 formed kSupporting the outer end of the burner I4, and

disposed directly above the flame orifices thereof is a rectangular flame port IB which is supported bythe upper wall 'I of the baseV and extends downwardly through an opening formed therein. The flame port I6 is formed with spaced inner and outer walls Ia and I6b respectively, and one of the outer walls IIib is elongated in a downward direction to provide a supporting flange I'l for the 'end' ofthe fuelfburner I4. The space between the inner and outer walls of the name portl I6 provides a passageway through which `amospheric air may pass from' beneath the base upwardly of the port and into a chamber formed between the bottom of the tank Q and the upper wall of the base, to insure complete combustion of any unburned fuel emanating from the fuel burner I4 within this chamber. Further the passageway between the inner and outer walls provides means whereby a draft is created at the burner I4 causing a flame issuing from the flame orices I5 to be sucked upwardly through the flame port I6 into the chamber disposed below the bottom of the tank 9 and ultimately through the passageway I2 and into the flue pipe II. In view of the above relation between the burner I4 and the bottom of the tank 9, it will be seen that heat furnished by the burner I4 will be transferred directly to the bottom of the tank 9 and consequently to the liquid contained within the tank.

Disposed within the interior of the flue pipe I I, is a spirally wound and coiled conduit I 8, similar to the side arm coil of the ordinary type hot Water heater, in that the respective ends of the coil conduit are disposed within the upper and lower portion of the tank 8, in a manner aifording communication with the interior thereof. The coil conduit I8 functions in the normal manner of the side arm coil in that heat applied thereto will be transmitted to the body of water contained Within the coils, and will cause the water to circulate by convective ilow upwardly into the upper region of the tank 8, and at the same time introducing relatively cool water into the bottom of the conduit. Heat is furnished to the coiled conduit I8 by means of the hot gaseous products of combustion emanating from the burner I4 and passing downwardly through the passageway I2 and ultimately within the flue pipe Il, thus 'affording a temperature transfer to the liquid contained within the tank 9.

The tank 8 is provided with a downwardly :extending inlet conduit I9, which serves in the ordinary manner to supply liquid tothe 'system substantially at the lower end vof the first tank 8. The heated water present within the tank B at the upper end thereof is discharged through an interconnecting conduit 20 having one of its ends communicating with the upper portion of the tank `8, and having its other rend extending downwardly through the tank9 and opening substantially at the bottom thereof,.whereby heated water present within the tank 8 is transferred to the lower portion of the tank 9. The discharge `outlet of the entire system vis disposed within the -upper end of the-tank `9 in the form of a conduit 2|, and .serves to yfurnish .heated water to the hot water system of an associated house or building.

As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, the entire outer surface of vthe tank 8 and 9 as well as the spacesurrounding the flu'e pipe H isr provided `with an insulatingjacket 2,2

whichserves to greatly reduce theheatloss within the-associated system, and presents a neat 'and lattractive appearance to the assembly.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides both a structurally -simple and mechanically efficient .means Yfor effecting the transfer of heal-,from a giveny quantity of fuel toa relatively ylarge body of liquid, and `further provides apparatus which may bequickly and easily installed, utilizing component-parts which are common to the present day .ho't water heating system.

While 'a .preferred form of the vpresentinvention disposed adjacent said first tank and communicatingwith the space between said burner and the bottom of said rst tank for conducting gas- "eou's 'products of combustion emanating from said lburner upwardly alongside of said first tank; a second vertically arranged liquid-receiving tank mounted on said base adjacent to said ilue passage; a heat transfer conduit positioned with- Asaidfflue passage rand y'comm'unica'timg lat 'its respective ends withthe Ivupper and 2lcmver'regions o'f 'sa-id 4second :tank for transfer-ring .heat from gas- Vcous products o'f combustion conducted in fsai'd iiu'e passage to liquid received in saidrsecond tank; means for introducing vliquid :to itheilower region 'of `said second utank; means -connected between said rtanks 'for 'conducting liquid from 'th'e upper region of said-:second tank tothe lower region of y'said nrst'tank; and i'means'for dischargingliqulds from "thlp'per region Of Sa'l'd iirstftank.

:MAUREL G. .BURWEIL 'REFERENCES 'CITED rilie following "references are `of record :in the ville 'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number IName Date 525,553 Keasb'ey Sept. 4, 1894 687,798 Van -Liew Dec. 3, '1901 1,668,639 Fisher May 8,1928 1,771,592 Summers July 29, 1930 1,933,056 Hamilton Oct. 31, 1933 2,163,199 'Hart June 20, 71939 2,356,657 Davis Aug. 22, 1944 

